Daly City California

Daly City may sit in the shadows of San Francisco, but it rises above the rest with its fantastic beaches and breathtaking views. Thornton State Beach is great for hiking and horseback riding, but it’s not currently open to the public. Only locals have access, due in part to the many landslides. Meanwhile, dramatic bluffs mark one of the area’s hidden gems. Just ten minutes from Downtown San Francisco, Burton Memorial Beach is famous for it’s cool ocean breeze. Read on and take a visit to Daly Cith Californa! For all the great area beaches, click here.

Weather (When to Go)

Average temperatures in Daly City vary little. If you’re looking for the very best (warmest) time to visit Daly City, the hottest months are July thru September. The temperature high is 78.4°F with temperatures rarely dropping below 57.1°F at night. The busiest months for tourism June thru August. Prices for hotels and flights will be at their highest during these months, though you can save if you purchase well in advance.

Daly City Attractions

Alcatraz Island

The infamous Alcatraz Island is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It doesn’t have any beaches, but a visit to “The Rock” is still worth the price of admission. In the mid-1800’s this island was Fort Alcatraz a military facility that was part of a three-point defense strategy for San Francisco Bay. Later in 1934 it was converted to Alcatraz Prison, a federal penitentiary.

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Golden Gate Bridge

Crossing the strait of the Golden Gate from San Francisco’s Presidio to the Marin headlands for 1.7 miles is the world-renowned Golden Gate Bridge, easily identified by its International Orange color. The single-suspension span is anchored by twin towers that reach skyward 746 feet, and was once taller than any building in San Francisco. To support the suspended roadway, two cables, each more than 7,000 feet in length stretch over the top of the towers and are rooted in concrete anchorages on shore.

Marin Headlands

Want to get out of San Francisco for a day to hidden beaches and trails? For the price of a bridge toll, you can have lots of outdoor options with easy access. The Marin Headlands are a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge just minutes from downtown. Biking is another great way to get here if you have a bike or can rent one. Make sure to also check out the Point Bonita Lighthouse.

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Devil’s Slide Trail

The Devils Slide Trail uses the old Highway 1 road along the stretch known as the Devil’s Slide. This section of the highway was eventually replaced with a double tunnel south of Pacifica to connect San Francisco to the Half Moon Bay area. The Devils Slide Trail is a wide paved path that meanders for 1.3 miles along a steep cliff face high above the ocean. It is a popular route for bikers, runners, and walkers.

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Thornton Beach State Park

Thornton State Beach is a remote beach below tall bluffs just south of San Francisco. The park is known for the hiking and equestrian trails on the bluff terraces high above the waterline. Bring a coat if you plan a trip down here as it can be windy, foggy, and cold.

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Things to do in Daly City

Paragliding San Francisco

Paragliding tandem flights and instruction. If you have ever tried or been interested in trying hang gliding, parasailing, skydiving, kite boarding, kite surfing, or sailing will love paragliding! The view that you get from a paraglider is similar what you see from a hot air balloon, blimp, airship, or even helicopter flight but at a much more affordable price. Telephone: +1 530-263-7558 Web: Paragliding San Francisco

Orange Sky Adventures

Orange Sky Adventures does trips + treks + tours of California and beyond. We camp, stay in hotels and show you the best parts of America on a road trip with friends. Telephone: +1 415-741-8977 Web: Orange Sky Adventures

Mara Vista Stables

Horseback ride down to Thornton State Beach through rolling hills and wildflowers then ride along the beautiful Pacific Ocean watching for dolphins, seals, red tailed hawks and marine life. Telephone: +1 650-991-4224 Web: Mara Vista Stables

Golden Gate Rides

San Francisco’s premier bicycle rental and private tour company. Ride golden. Ride with them! They will deliver the bikes to you & pickup for free when you make an online reservation a day in advance! Telephone: +1 415-757-0838 Web: Golden Gate Rides

Best Restaurants in Daly City

$-Inexpensive $$-Moderate $$$-Pricey $$$$-Ultra High End

$$ Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant

This is one of the best restaurants in Daly City. If you love Mexican food, this is the place for you. Though it may be small, their food definitely isn’t. With their big portions, this food is sure to fill you up and make you happy. They have a lot of different dishes to choose from, so you could have something different every time you visit. Telephone: +1 650 756 6289 Web: Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant

$$$ California Fish Grill

Savor their open kitchen as vegetables and herbs are chopped, fish is hand battered, and meals are cooked on our signature flame grill. Open a bottle of wine and enjoy an appetizer, while they cook and prepare everything by hand. It’s hard work… but for us, it’s worth it. Telephone: +1 650-517-5712 Web: California Fish Grill

$$ – $$$ Boulevard Cafe

Just about everything on their menu is prepared from scratch including soups, dressings, and sauces. They use sustainable raised grass-fed beef and fresh seafood. Their poultry is free of hormones, antibiotics and delivered fresh, never frozen. Paired with their warm and inviting ambiance and friendly service, Boulevard Cafe hopes to make your dining experience a memorable and satisfying one. Telephone: +1 650-755-3400 Web: Boulevard Cafe

$$ – $$$ Burma Cafe

Their chefs are very meticulous about food preparation, taste and overall quality to make sure your experience with Burmese delicacies is a pleasant one. Their variety of salads, soups, curries and noodles can be paired perfectly with any of their specialty drinks, including beers and wines. Telephone: +1 650-992-6363 Web: Burma Cafe

Best Nightlife in Daly City

Surf Lounge

This is the best dive bar. They serve excellent tiki-tropical cocktails at a great price. Nice backyard patio, great bartenders, and interesting regulars. Warm fireplace for those windy Pacifica nights. A perfect hang-out. Telephone: +1 650-355-5111 Web (Yelp): Surf Lounge

Longboard Margarita Bar

They specialize in an array of delicious margaritas using fresh ingredients including fresh squeezed lime juice, agave nectar and our fresh fruit purees made in house. Along with our margaritas, we offer 11 beers on tap as well as a full bar to meet any taste. They provide live entertainment every weekend ranging from 70’s and 80’s rock and popular music to all of today’s favorite hits. Telephone: +1 650-738-5905 Web: Longboard Margarita Bar

Last Stop Sports Bar & Lounge

Head in on a weekday to have a casual drink or two in a fun environment… just you or take a group of friends along. Head there on the weekend to dance, drink and party with them. Telephone: +1 650-991-1104 Web: Last Stop Sports Bar & Lounge

Gino’s Club

This is a cantina and latin bar. Just get a bucket of corona for around $15 and have fun listening to old school latin music. Have fun. This isn’t a place to have high expectations. You literally just go here for beers and conversation. Web: Gino’s Club

Molloy’s Tavern

Established in 1883 and an Irish tavern this bar has plenty of atmosphere, memorabilia and sits in the middle of the Colma cemetery district and has been the venue for wakes for the past century and more. An experience that has to be gone through to appreciate. Telephone: +1 650-270-4853 Web: Molloy’s Tavern

Milo Hotel

The budget traveler’s answer to high-priced San Francisco hotel rooms, this 36-room charmer in Daly City just minutes from downtown San Francisco hits on all the right notes. Behind its 60s-era facade are fun guest rooms, and the decade’s favorite tunes. And while the hotel pays homage to a bygone era, its thoughtful services and high-tech amenities are the modern day marvels today’s freethinking travelers expect. For more information, pricing, or to reserve your room visit Milo Hotel.

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El Camino Inn

The El Camino is located in Daly City, the quiet suburban side of San Francisco. For business or pleasure the Inn provides a comfortable and central location for your stay in the Bay Area. They offer the best guest service and a variety of amenities to make your stay comfortable and convenient. Experience a memorable and worry-free vacation or business trip in the heart of Daly City. For more information, pricing, or to reserve your room visit the El Camino Inn.

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BridgePoint Inn

Make yourself at home in one of the 35 air-conditioned rooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary WiFi and satellite programming is available, as well as private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations with complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Housekeeping is provided daily, and irons/ironing boards can be requested. For more information, pricing, or to reserve your room visit the BridgePoint Inn.

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52 Comments

Wow! Daly City looks incredible. I will have to check it out. I have been to a lot of places on the California coast, but never there. The Surf Lounge sounds like an excellent place to party. The name is so inviting for me.

I do have a question though. What is the surfing like in Daly City? I surf in Santa Cruz and I would like to check out other places. Since it is up the coast, I imagine the swell is a lot larger.

Hi! I have always received good advice each time I have visited your site. And I have become a regular visitor. And with this post you deliver very useful points, as always.

I like to consider more than one destination, when planning vacations with my family. And although I hadn’t considered Daly City, after reading your post, it has become an option.

I have never been to the world-renowned Golden Gate Bridge, nor my family (can you believe that?). I’d also like to visit the hiking and equestrian trails at Thornton State Beach. So, I’ll put Daly City on the table.

I’ve truly enjoyed this article as I found it to be very helpful due to its short and informative descriptions of each aspect of Daly city, whether that would be the great weather analysis which You provided here, or detailed representation of places & hotels to visit & book here in Daly City of California. I’ve never visited an USA, however visiting it it is definitely on my bucket list and I can’t wait to have an opportunity to visit it one day! As far as the actual city Daly goes, well I have to say- I am very impressed by the amount of very awesome and captivating activities and places there are to visit and participate in. I would be particularly interested in driving through The Golden Gate Bridge because in my eyes it’s one of the most gorgeous bridges that exists out there, especially during night time, and to be a part of witnessing it in real life would truly mean a lot to me! I would also really admire going to Thornton Beach State Park to do some hiking as I am huge fan of this activity and I always look forward to hike in new and undiscovered territories to seek some inspiration and stress relief! Spending a beautiful sunny day at Marin Headlands would also be fantastic, particularly due to its stunning landscapes, sceneries and views.

What a great article. I am also from Canada, but have visited San Fran, San Diego and LA. I too love California and its amazing weather. It would be nice to know if you have any or if there are any traffic tips if you rent a car. I had about 1.5hr drive turn into 6 hours from the high desert to Riverside one day.

Boy, that is one thing I can’t give you Braden, is traffic tips. I am not sure what kind of tips you are looking for. I would assume that traveling during rush hours is when you are going to find yourself stuck in it all. If you have been to San Fran, then I assume you have been to Daly City? Wonderful beach community!

Travellers who enjoy the sun and the sea will find very useful information about beaches around the world. I like the short and sweet descriptions of the exotic beaches with their breathtaking views.You have also put together info about several hotels and resorts.

I like the loyalty programs which rewards travelers. The package deals will certainly spare the would-be travelers the hassle of looking for an affordable one. Then there is useful information about water sports and gear for those who love sea sports. Cruise lovers will also find your site very interesting and informative.

The temperature sounds a lot like Monterey. I lived there for a bit. It was often foggy. When the fog cleared and was sunny, we’d all get sunburned because we were caught unprepared, haha. Places like this with comfortable temperatures are great. I love being able to go outside and not have to worry about being too hot or too cold.

And I didn’t know Alcatraz was originally a defense point. That’s cool.

I must say that this looks like a very nice destination to visit. I have never been there although I visited many countries in America. I like the weather and I would like to go there in July as I have a job vacancy for one month. I will definitely come back if I decide to go there. Thanks a lot for sharing such nice destination.

Thanks for this beautiful and informative post. With what I have read here, Daly City is a place that I definitely want to visit. A place for me to just go and relax at. You have a lot of wonderful vacation choices here for me to choose from. I love natural habitat. I will also share your wonderful site with others that I know would love it. Thanks.

I was happy to see that September hit within the warmest months in Daly City. I like warm, and we usually travel in September when the kids are back to school so places aren’t so busy and oftentimes expensive. Our kids are grown now and the babies aren’t in school yet, so we’ve focused on September.

I’m not sure I’d venture out to Alcatraz Island. I don’t like to visit negative places, and I can’t imagine it was a very happy place either for the military or the prisoners and guards. It’s cool that it’s still there and people do like those historical places, but I think that’s one I would not be going to.

So the Thornton Beach State Park is closed to the public? Do you need like a pass or something to prove you’re a local? What do they consider a local? Is there a specific geographic circle or a California native? My Uncle lives not far from there.

Ok, you can visit Thornton Beach State Park. They have closed it due to the erosion of the cliffs and it not being safe. That is why they “say” it is closed. All around the park you will see signs stating that the area is unsafe and not to go beyond. There is still a safe route down. If you step over the cords and walk north to the Mar Vista Stables there are wide trails for horseback riders to make it down to the beach (about 3/4-mile from the parking lot). Hikers can do the same. Just be cautious on your way down 🙂

Daly City will be a very nice and wonderful place to be for my next vacation. I am beginning to realize the fact that California is really where I am headed for my summer vacation. I wonder why the Alcatraz island was converted to prison, do you have a reason for that I’ll really love to know the cause of this. Thanks for this review.

Hi Salim, yes you would love a vacation to California and especially to Daly City. Alcatraz was made into a prison because they considered it impossible to escape being out on an island away from land. However, there are some that actually did escape. So their theory did not work out so well.

Thanks for this informative post, I love California but have never been there despite travelling to the United States multiple times I only read about this place and and the amazing activities as well as major events, and I have come to conclusionof visiting California during my next holidays, I hope it’s worth the visit.

I can guarantee it will be worth the visit. You really can’t go wrong with any part of the California coast. It really just depends on what you are looking for in your vacation. Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks for the post about Daly City. This is really beautiful. I liked the video, that you pasted to your post.

I was in San Francisco many times and there are many things to see there. Thornton Beach State Park is a beautiful place to hike. We were there for a day and took many photos. Next time I will probably check Daly City too.

Wow! Daly City is breathtaking especially with the Thornton Beach and Birton Memorial Beach. This is awesome review and its so great that you included the best months to go. I’ve been to San Francisco but never been to the hidden gems that you can recommended. I will bookmark your review since it practically covers all the information i need.

Great Francis, and you are right…. they are hidden gems and a lot less crowded than the big city like San Francisco with a lot more charm and plenty to do. Thank you for taking the time to leave me some comments 🙂

Hi Leahrae and thanks for the great post on Daly City. I am heading to California next summer with some friends, flying into San Fran. This looks like a great little getaway from the big city to enjoy the California Coast. Which hotel would be best for a group of guys?

Hi Kenechi. Really the best choice for a group of guys is going to be the Comfort Inn or the Hilton Inn Express. These are probably geared more toward families and groups of travelers than the other selections. Have fun in Daly City California!

Great and interesting post, you must have put in a lot of energy in writing this. I think I like California, it is blessed with so many tourists attraction such as the Daly city, I like the image of the Golden gate and I will try as much a possible to visit there in my next vacation. Do you have any idea about the price of the available hotels?

Hi Clement and thank you for visiting my Daly City California post. The hotel prices are really going to vary depending on what time of year you go and which hotel you choose. If you click on the hotel links individually, you can plug in a date and get a feel for the price 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

I always enjoy your post cos you literally take me on a voyage touring different beach destinations each time you write. And your eye for details is spectacular, must take a lot of time and effort to write such articles.

California is a beautiful city and whenever I visit California, i really hope I would be able to take pictures on the Golden Gate Bridge.

You are very welcome Michael. Yes, I agree that it is so close to so many other really beautiful places. Especially flying into northern California. I am glad you enjoyed your visit to Daly City California 🙂

This is a great and informative post. I love traveling, and this would be a fantastic trip. My husband is planning a trip outside Japan lately. No doubt I will share this post with him. I’m excited as I am reading your post.

I really enjoyed reading your article. Daly City California looks amazing! I really enjoyed the video you provided. I really appreciate all of this information; things to do, places to eat, places to visit, the weather, motels to stay in. Such an abundance of well written information. I don’t feel a need to do any more research because you have pretty much covered it all.
This looks like a great please to vacation. Do you have any recommendations for getting airplane tickets?
Thanks for sharing this!
Devara

Thanks for getting back to me. I should explore your site some more to see what else you have shared that I missed.
I will check out your airfare post. I’m excited about visiting Daly City!
Much appreciated!
Devara

You know I have never been in California , by the way I am here in Florida, But now with thsee information you just gave us ,And beatiful beaches out there , I guess we need to plan a trip in future,
I like the restaurants you just mentioned , you make is so easy for us Leahrae.
Thanks a lot.

Dear Leahrae,
This article makes me hungry for more. I would love to visit this part of the world at some point. Definitly on top of my list. Thank you for all the information. Great tips and recommendations.
All the best
Warm regards
Anna

WOW! Who needs Trip advisor when there are articles like this? It gives information about everything a visitor might want to know about Daly City. Could you please tell me what means of transportation I could use to get there from San Francisco? Which one is more convenient?

Hi Effie! So Daly City is not far away and the easiest and most economical route would be to take the city bus, or BART. It is about a 15 minute ride 🙂 I am glad you enjoyed and thanks for stopping by Daly City California!